How to Become a Professional Writer

Is professional writing the right career for you? I’m often asked that question. Unfortunately, only YOU know the answer.

Your desire is always the best and only guide. Writing can be extremely frustrating. It can also be huge fun and highly rewarding.

However, you face a blank computer screen every day, and you need to fill it with words. Only you know whether you can do that.

Your ability to handle criticism is also a factor.

Can You Handle Criticism?

Some people, even though they have the talent for a writing career, don’t have the temperament. If you can’t handle criticism, it may not be the career for you.

Criticism is unpleasant. It will make you angry.

Indeed, it may enrage you. A friend who’s a mystery novelist spends days knitting whenever she receives pages of author queries once she’s completed a book. Now, author queries, which come from your editor or copy editor, are par for the course when you write books. No book is ever published as-is. There are always queries and also requests for revisions.

My novelist friend knits until she’s soothed her irrational rage. Then she happily sets to work and handles the queries. She knows her rage is irrational. HOWEVER — and this is a vital point — she accommodates her rage, and waits for it to pass, as it always does.

If, when you get angry, you can recognize that you’re angry and can get over it, you’ll have a great career.

Here are some links to articles which can help you to decide whether a professional writing career is for you.

* The Truth about Selling your Writing Services Online

The Web offers unlimited opportunities for writers to make money from their writing skills. You can create and write blogs, sell articles, sell reviews and much more. It’s just a matter of getting started and following the simple process I’ll outline for you in this article.

* Professional Writing: Five Silly Mistakes to Avoid

Want to build a professional writing career? If you enjoy writing, you can. Writers are in huge demand on the Web, so you can build a great career quickly. However, there are pitfalls. Discover how you can avoid five common, silly mistakes.

* From Novice Writer to Writing Professional in 3 Steps

Love to write? Perhaps you’re a beginning writer, and you want to know whether you have what it takes to make writing a full time career, or perhaps you’ve always wanted to write, but didn’t know how to start.
The big benefit of a writing career is that all are welcome. There are no barriers to entry. Young or old, male or female, rich or poor, educated or not, you can make writing your career if you wish.

* Professional Writing: Keys to Success

Want to make a professional income from your writing career? You can, if you realize that in today’s world, writing is a commodity, and a low-paid one at that. Discover how you can turn your writing into more than a commodity, so that you make upwards of $1 a word for everything you write.

* Professional Writing: 3 Tips to Help You to Manage Your Time and Your Writing

During these tough economic times your writing can provide a great second income and will develop into a full-time income very quickly. However, the first thing you’ll learn about professional writing is how much extra work it involves, and that often this work isn’t billable.

Here are three tips which will help you to manage your time, and develop a professional perspective.

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